Electrophysiology Studies

An electrophysiology study thoroughly assesses the electrical conduction system of the heart and any abnormal heartbeats.

Electrophysiology studies can measure:

How fast the electrical signals in the heart travel

How well the electrical impulses are pacing your heart rhythm

Can artificially cause abnormal heart rhythms to learn what triggers them or how they respond to particular drugs.

Such tests may be done to check how a pacemaker is working, what causes abnormal heart rhythms to start, how effective certain drugs are, where a pacemaker should be implanted or whether more studies are needed.

You will be asked to lie on an X-ray table with a large X-ray camera above it and TV monitors nearby. Heart monitors and other instruments may be nearby. The staff will be wearing sterile gowns with gloves and possibly masks.

You will have cardiac catheterization so that wires can be positioned in the chambers of your heart. You may feel pressure when the catheters are inserted but you should not feel pain. It may become tiring and uncomfortable to lie in the same position so long.

Once the wires are in place, electrical signals from your heart are monitored and recorded. Your doctor may artificially increase your heart rate to cause any abnormal rhythm disturbances. Drugs may be given to you through a needle and tube inserted in your arm. The entire study takes up to three hours.

At the Cedars-Sinai Electrophysiology Laboratory, specially trained doctors conduct these tests. Electrophysiology experts read and interpret the recording of the heart's action and provide a full report to the patient's doctor. The heart specialist can then use this information in planning the best treatment plan.

This website converts English to other languages using an automated tool called Microsoft Translator™. The translations may include errors or change the intended meaning of the text. Please consult your healthcare provider about any medical information.

Translations may not be available for some items, including PDF documents, maps, video captions, and text that appears on photos. Also, some features on the website may not work in the translated versions.

This Web page converts English to other languages â â using an automated tool called Microsoft Translatorâ ¢. Translations may include errors or change the intended meaning of the text. Please consult your doctor about any medical information.

Translations may not be available for some articles, including PDF documents, maps, video legends and text that appears in the photos. Also, some of the features on the website may not work in the translated versions.